"Nobody knows how much we spend. You're the only person I ever said those numbers to out loud"

[kpete]

What the Rich Won’t Tell You
“There’s nobody who knows how much we spend. You’re the only person I ever said those numbers to out loud.”

By RACHEL SHERMAN
SEPTEMBER 8, 2017




https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/09/08/opinion/sunday/what-the-rich-wont-tell-you.html

[QC]

1. Or she could, you know, pay her staff enough to live decently

and make do with $5 bread.

[MineralMan]

2. My wife gave me a subscription to Architectural Digest

as a joke, since we live in an old 50s rambler. I page through the issues, paying special attention to pages where they show people how they can buy items like the ones in their layouts.

The prices are remarkable. Bathtubs that cost more than my annual income. Kitchen ranges that cost as much as my new car. Designer lamps that cost more than everything in my living room. It's an interesting look at a world that exists right alongside the real world I live in.

It's also a glimpse into the essential obscenity of wealth.

[HipChick]

5. Many years ago, I worked for a man who was the richest person in his state...Private clubs with

memberships that equaled the cost of my annual salary. One of the bathrooms in his mansion was the same square footage as the size of my flat at the time. They let me stay at some of their Private clubs, rather than staying in a hotel when I need to travel. I never had to pay a bill, as his company picked it up, but one nights stays was around the monthly cost of my rent. I met colleagues for dinner...among the 3 of us the bill came up to $3,400...it was paid without a blink of an eyelid. They live in a different world...

[MineralMan]

13. Yes. Their world is not like ours, I suppose.

However, they still put their clothing on the same way and sit on a toilet just like I do. The difference in their lifestyle and the products they buy is not one that is real. It is artificial, really.

A $20,000 dining room table is not really a different thing than the nice oak table that can seat 8 that I bought at a garage sale for $50. It's really not. It's surrounded by high quality Windsor style chairs I collected over a couple of months at the local Goodwill store, for $5.99 each. I refinished that furniture myself at very little cost, as well. When my guests sit at my table, it's covered with a nice tablecloth and they're presented with excellent food prepared by me, on plain white tableware I bought at Ikea on sale as two six place setting sets for some paltry amount. It's not the table or the dishes that are important. It's just a piece of furniture. The rich man has one, but so do I. We have the same stuff. The difference is only in the cost of that stuff, really, and you can't eat that.

[Ohiya]

10. Even Popular Mechanics

They show this couple with the prices of their clothing listed. The man is wearing jeans that are $285.00. Who is this magazine for? They also had an article of a man on an adventure, who actually took a trip without using gps! The Horror!

[MineralMan]

12. Yes, I saw that very issue. What was weird to me was that the

$285 jeans were Levis. I didn't know they made jeans that expensive. I don't buy Levis any more, due to their price, but I've never seen a $285 pair in any of the stores I've shopped in.

As for the GPS road trip, I still don't use GPS on road trips. My wife sometimes turns on turn by turn directions on her iPhone, but it annoys the crap out of me. I already know where I'm going and where I need to turn, because I've looked it all up earlier. It's useful sometimes in cities to find specific addresses or places, but it's silly otherwise.

I have a great road atlas. I use it to plan my road trips. By the time I start the car I know exactly what route to take, alternative routes, and every turn I'll be making. That's part of the fun of road trips, as far as I'm concerned.

But, I won't be wearing any $285 jeans, I can guarantee.

[CrispyQ]

3. I wonder how much they pay their staff.

I worked for a man who heard that the lot next to his house was up for sell & the possible new owners were looking into building permits to add a 2nd story. Well, that would have cast a shadow on his tennis court, so he bought the house next door. To his credit, when he traveled for the company, he flew first class & stayed in a suite, but always expensed it as coach & a standard room.

[madokie]

4. Give your employee a raise

enough to live on and that way you won't have this guilt trip. Obviously you can afford to pay that person a better wage, asshole

too gawddamn many assholes in this world is one thing I do know for Sure.

[demigoddess]

15. If she couldn't do that because her husband controlled the money she could give her a

real nice tip at the end of the year or a diamond something she could sell for money.

[madokie]

19. Or better yet

just turn around and kick her husband in the gonads for being such a dick.

This coming from a guy here

The divide between the haves and havenots is where our problem lies and it keeps on growing. Thats where we need to concentrate out efforts in fixing

[KPN]

6. So they have a conscience, albeit seemingly guilty. But ..

conscience is a good thing. Some of them may actually act on it or already have. Let's hope so.

For the rest, sorry but Mary Antoinette comes to mind.

[TexasBushwhacker]

11. I'm not sure I would call it conscience

Conscience would indicate they know it is wrong and therefore DON'T DO IT. All they are doing is covering up the evidence of their crime.

[L. Coyote]

16. No, it is just a ploy to avoid paying them more!!

If the "he3lp" finds out the true numbers, they might want a raise. Gotta keep them thinking you can barely afford help.

[procon]

7. The rich only care about themselves. It makes them feel better to lie

about their obscene wealth, but they don't give a rats ass about the underpaid hired help. They might worry about what their disgruntled staff might do in retaliation after being denied a raise and then seeing the outrageous price tag their newest $$$ bling. Be leary of the extra ingredient added to the foam on thei latte, know what I'm sayin'?

[leftstreet]

8. They feel so good about feeling guilty

[ismnotwasm]

9. That's dumb

They think their staff can't figure out wealth? Just more condescending self-indulgence. If one is conflicted about being wealthy, there's always philanthropy instead of sharpies.

[surrealAmerican]

14. Guess what, silly rich person:

... people who aren't rich usually know a whole lot more about what things cost than you do.

This is an example of someone who thinks intelligence can be measured in dollars.

[haveahart]

17. If you are ashamed of the wealth you spend, don't spend it, give it away.

[Barack_America]

18. The problem is, consumption consumes the consumer.

It's like a black hole collapsing on itself.

Buy the $6 bread and fear judgement of the person who can afford $2 bread.

Buy the $2 bread and fear judgement of the people who can afford $6 bread.

[VermontKevin]

20. A Cuban immigrant I know described soaking off the labels of cans and jars so the

neighbors would not know what the family could afford to eat.

Think about that.

[Johnny2X2X]

21. If people knew

If the general public knew how the ultra rich are living there would be riots in the street. You really don't understand the waste.

The rich throw away enough in a day to pay for the surgeries of their servants' children. It's disgusting.